


O'er the Ramparts

by Dee_Laundry



Category: House M.D.
Genre: Episode Tag, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-03-16
Updated: 2011-03-16
Packaged: 2017-10-17 19:54:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/180616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dee_Laundry/pseuds/Dee_Laundry
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Have you ever heard a canonnball echo?</p>
            </blockquote>





	O'er the Ramparts

**Author's Note:**

> SPOILERS for "Out of the Chute." Follow-on to [](http://blackmare-9.livejournal.com/profile)[**blackmare_9**](http://blackmare-9.livejournal.com/) 's "[Cannonball](http://blackmare-9.livejournal.com/521910.html)" and quotes the last two sentences of that fic.

He sets Sarah gently on the floor, and pours himself a tumbler of Scotch.

The ringing stops.

* * *

Two rather generous shots of Scotch do the work to stop the pictures of House in freefall from slamming through his mind.

But neither they nor the television turned to the soothing procedural order of a legal drama quite drown out the whispers darting like hornets between his ears.

He'd thought it would be House's voice in his head, with a few choice epithets: _Spoilsport. Stuffed shirt. Sucker._

But instead it's a younger voice, one that's so very much older.

 _How could you let this happen? You took your eye off him, and now look what he's gotten into. You've got to_ mind _him. Should we go over again what that means?_

He tries to focus on the DA's tight ass - literal, not figurative - but the refrain does not refrain.

 _This is not something you can goof off on. The sweetheart, he's just doing what comes naturally. He doesn't know better, and you do. Take responsibility, James. There'll be time for you later._

He turns the TV volume up loud enough to startle Sarah into running for cover.

But nothing gets drowned out.

 _You have to think of him, the burden he carries. It's a blessing that you don't have his burden, and what kind of person are you if you don't share that blessing by giving him your time and care? Selfish, is that what you want to be? How much he suffers; how little you do. You think about that, James;_ think _about that._

He thinks about that.


End file.
